Statute of Limitations for Permit Violation Claims in California

8 min read · Last reviewed April 2026

Key Time Limits

• Latent (hidden) defects: 10 years from substantial completion of the work (CCP §337.15)
• Patent (visible) defects: 4 years from substantial completion
• Breach of written contract: 4 years from the breach (CCP §337)
• Breach of oral contract: 2 years from the breach (CCP §339)
• Fraud / intentional misrepresentation: 3 years from discovery (CCP §338(d))
• Negligence: 2 years from discovery (CCP §335.1)
• Real estate non-disclosure: 3 years from discovery of the undisclosed condition

Code Enforcement Time Limits

Unlike private claims, most code enforcement actions do not have a traditional statute of limitations. A city or county can generally issue a violation notice for unpermitted work regardless of when the work was performed. However, practical considerations — such as the difficulty of proving violations for very old work — may limit enforcement in some cases.

The Discovery Rule

For many permit violation claims, the statute of limitations does not begin to run until you discover (or reasonably should have discovered) the violation. This is particularly important for buyers who discover unpermitted work after closing — the clock starts when you find the problem, not when the work was originally done or when you bought the property.